Nick Taitague has had a frustrating time at Bundesliga club Schalke and now will be seeking a new employer after becoming a free agent on Saturday.
Schalke announced that Taitague’s contract has been terminated and he has left the club. The American midfielder’s deal was set to run until June 2021, but he will now be looking to start a new chapter in his career.
“FC Schalke 04 would like to wish Nick all the best for his personal and professional future,” a club statement read.
Taitague joined the club’s Under-19 side in 2017 from FC Richmond and mainly featured for Schalke’s U-19 and U-23 teams. The 21-year-old only made 13 combined appearances for the U-23’s after dealing with several injuries over the past two seasons.
The midfielder did get to work with the senior team during preseason camp last summer, but he only went on to make five U-23 appearances this season. U-23 player has been on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Taitague still remained out of the first team picture.
Taitague made 22 combined appearances for the U.S. Youth National Teams, last featuring twice for the Under-20 team in 2016.
Wished a Bundesliga 2 team could have picked him up.
Schalke 04 doesn’t seem to be doing very well in many aspects of it’s operations. Unhappy players, manager turnover … not looking good
That tends to happen when a club is broke. They’ve sold just about all their marketable talent and are struggling to find a path forwards.
Taitague was once a highly regarded prospect, but has been derailed by injuries. Hopefully he can get healthy and find someone to sign him.